31. Fantastic Fourth Celebration
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (770) 498-5633
Description: The park throws a three-day birthday party for America beginning on the Fourth, with major concerts and other entertainment, plus nightly fireworks in addition to the Lasershow. Bring a blanket, picnic food, swim clothes, running shoes, bug spray, and suntan lotion in case you want to spend the entire day and take advantage of all the offerings. The celebration is free with admission to the park, which is $10 per car, per day.
32. Peachtree Road Race
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Description: You don’t have to be in the horde of runners to enjoy this Fourth of July event, which is free to watch. Peachtree is lined with revelers cheering on the participants. There are entry fees for runners, but the forms are snapped up within hours of distribution.
33. National Black Arts Festival
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (404) 730-7315
Description: The National Black Arts Festival is presented each July but the organization celebrates what it calls a year-round festival with events each month. Events during the celebration are held at various venues throughout the city. The festival spotlights the work of artists of African descent in eight disciplines: music, dance, theater, film, folk art, visual arts, performance art, and literature. Works by artists from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America are featured, as is an artists’ market. Events range in price from $5 and up. Call for information or a catalog of merchandise, which includes posters, caps, mugs, and more.
34. U.S. 10K Classic and Family Sports Festival
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (770) 432-0100
Description: While the sportspeople in your family bike, skate, or run in this annual Labor Day multi-event roadrace that begins at Cumberland Mall and ends at White Water Park, the rest of the family can party at the Galleria. Free pony rides, exhibits, and other activities keep the youngsters busy from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The racers pay a $27 to $32 registration fee and get to compete with about 10,000 others, including wheelchair racers and walkers. There is $75,000 in prizes, which brings out the Olympians as well as other hopefuls. There is also a cycling competition, a longer look route around Dobbins Air Reserve Base, and a 10K women’s cycling sprint.
35. Yellow Daisy Festival
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (770) 498-5633
Description: For more than 40 years in early September, Stone Mountain Park has staged this celebration of the Confederate Yellow Daisy, fields that adorn the mountainside and bloom about this time. Arts and crafts booths line the wooded paved trails in the Special Events Meadow and Woodlands. Expect to see more than 400 vendors, live entertainment, a flower show, lots of food, and more. The sale begins Saturday at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. People show up to buy even earlier. The event is free with admission to the park—$10 per car, per day.
36. JapanFest
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (404) 842-1400
Description: In mid-September, this weekend-long celebration of Japanese culture offers a wide variety of demonstrations from tea ceremonies to calligraphy as well as performing arts workshops and exhibitions. It’s sponsored by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, Japan American Society of Georgia, and the consulate general of Japan in Georgia. The event is one of the largest Japanese festivals in the country. Tickets are $8 and food and the beer garden are extra.
37. Atlanta Greek Festival
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (404) 633-5870
Address: 2500 Clairmont Rd.
Description: This annual fall tribute to Greek culture attractsmore than 50,000 people over four days in late September. There’s Greek music, dancing, wine, and food: souvlaki, moussaka, gyros, and honey-dripping baklava made by members of the church. Opa! Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children younger than 12.
38. Grant Park Tour of Homes
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (404) 522-7131
Description: Grant Park is named for Colonel Lemuel P. Grant, the transplanted Yankee civil engineer who designed the elaborate fortifications around Atlanta during the Civil War and who later donated 100 acres of wooded, hilly land near his home for a city park with no racial restrictions. The neighborhood around the park has many historic Victorian homes, both massive and modest. The tour is held in late September; tickets are $15 in advance, $20 on the day of the tour.
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
40. American Indian Festival
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (770) 963-2253
Address: 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy.
Description: Held the first weekend in October, this festival is a celebration of the spirit of the first Americans. There are numerous cultural demonstrations as well as story telling and crafts. Children 5-12 are $4; adults pay $8 plus the cost of the food.
41. Puppetry Arts Festival
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (404) 873-3391
Address: 1404 Spring St.
Description: The world-renowned Center for Puppetry Arts stages its annual extravaganza in October with performances by nationally and internationally known artists as well as local puppeteers. Children’s puppet-making workshops and strolling performers are also part of the festivities.
42. Sunday in the Park
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (404) 688-2107
Address: 248 Oakland Ave. SE
Description: Historic Oakland Foundation hosts its major event of the year, Sunday in the Park, each fall. More than 1,500 people attend this annual event, which features free tours, a Victorian hat contest, Teddy Bear Tea and face painting for children, music, a photography contest, and decorated mausolea.
43. Ansley Park Centennial Tour of Homes
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Description: On a weekend in early October, owners of some of Atlanta’s most distinctive older homes open their doors to visitors so that their neighborhood association can earn funds. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on tour days to view all the homes. With your ticket you receive a walking map listing the homes you can see during the weekend. Visit one or many to get ideas on home renovation and decorating or to sneak a peek at how the other half lives.
44. Chili Cook-Off
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (770) 498-5633
Description: On a Saturday in early October, Stone Mountain Park catches fire as about 300 teams participate in creative chili cooking. There’s live entertainment, games/prizes, and cold beer to help you cool off afterward. There is a park admission of $10 per car, per day. Tickets are $10 at the gate.
45. Rock N’ rib Festival
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (678) 226-2639
Description: This all-out party on the Lawrenceville Square includes an entire afternoon of live music and ribs galore. Almost a dozen restaurants and competitive barbecue teams help serve up dishes of ’cue. The celebration is free but beer and food is extra. The festivities kick off in the morning with a 5K Breast Cancer Run.